1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus used in the collection of sputum directly from a patient in a respiratory support system and more particularly to a sputum trap manifold that provides a convenient storage site for storing caps used to seal the connectors of the manifold. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sputum trap manifold that forms a nest adapted to conveniently store the caps prior to detachment of the sputum trap manifold from the respiratory support system.
2. Prior Art
Respiratory support systems used for the ventilation of critically ill patients are now commonly used in medical facilities. Typically, a prior art respiratory support system includes a tracheal tube positioned either directly, or through the nose or mouth, into the trachea of a patient, a manifold connected to the tracheal tube at one port positioned thereof, and a source of breathable gas connected at a second port thereof. The purpose of the respiratory support system is to assist the patient in maintaining adequate blood oxygenation levels without overtaxing the patients's heart and lungs.
While a patient is attached to the respiratory support system, it is periodically necessary to aspirate fluid from the patient's trachea or lungs. In the past, in order to accomplish aspiration, it has been necessary to disassemble part of the respiratory support system, either by removing the ventilator manifold therefrom or by opening a port of the manifold and inserting a small diameter suction tube down the tracheal tube and into the patient's trachea and lungs. However, there has been no solutions to the problem of sputum sample collection during aspiration, which also avoids the problem of respiratory support interruption.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,195 to Kee is generally exemplary of the prior art sputum sample collection during the aspiration of a patient's trachea and lungs without loss of respiratory support to the patient. The Kee device relates to an in-line sputum trap for a respiratory support system having a collection vial for receiving and storing a sputum specimen and a manifold that connects the sputum trap in fluid flow communication to a suction catheter used to aspirate a patient's trachea and lungs and a suction control valve which controls the flow of vacuum to the suction catheter. The sputum trap is designed for quick connect and disconnect with the suction catheter device and the suction control valve after having been used to collect a sputum sample from a patient. After collection of a sputum sample, the sputum trap is disconnected from the respiratory support system and the manifold is detached from the collection vial so that the collection vial can be sealed with a suitable cap for transportation. Unfortunately, a clinician removing the manifold from the collection vial may be inadvertently exposed to contaminates until the collection vial can be safely resealed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,860 to Nakao et al. is generally exemplary of a sputum trap device that includes a pair of tethered caps used for sealing the inlet and outlet of the sputum trap's manifold after disconnection from the respiratory support system, thereby removing the need to detach the manifold from the collection vial. However, the Nakao et al. device suffers from drawbacks. One drawback is that the sputum trap has no convenient storage site to store the tethered caps so that the caps do not interfere with the operation of the suction catheter during aspiration of a patient's trachea and lungs. Another drawback is that there is no sanitary means provided in the Nakeo et al. device for preventing inadvertent contamination of the tethered caps by a clinician's hands during the aspiration procedure since the caps are permitted to freely dangle until used to seal the manifold's connectors.
As of yet, nothing in the prior art has addressed the problem of developing a nest or storage site on the body of the sputum trap manifold for conveniently storing in a sanitary environment a pair of tethered caps used to seal the inlet and outlet connectors of the sputum trap manifold. Moreover nothing in the prior art has addressed the need for developing a nest or storage site for nesting a pair of tethered caps so that the tethered caps do not interfere with the collection of a sputum specimen during aspiration of a patient's trachea and lungs.